Point-of-sale (POS) code sensing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Point-of sale (POS) devices and checkout devices are provided. An exemplary checkout apparatus includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in fixed relationship with each other at the mouth of a bag. At least one of the sensing elements senses a code arranged on a product as the product is being placed into the bag.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATION

This application hereby claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/098,110 for a “Point-of-Sale (POS) Code Sensing Apparatus” (filed Dec. 30, 2014), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to point-of-sale (POS) devices for sensing product codes.

BACKGROUND

One of the negative aspects of a customer's experience at typical retail stores, such as grocery stores, is the long time spent in a checkout lane. If lines are too long, customers may simply forgo the transaction and leave the store without making a purchase, which can be costly for the retailer and can be an inconvenience for the customer.

Many retailers have installed self-checkout lanes with scanning equipment to allow more checkout lanes to be available to the customers. The additional lanes are intended to speed up the checkout process. However, because of their inexperience with the operations of the self-checkout point-of-sale (POS) equipment, customers may spend more time during the checkout process. It may require more time for customers to learn the processes and for employees to teach customers how to use the equipment. Because of the uncertainty they feel when using the equipment, some customers may become frustrated and dissatisfied with the checkout experience.

Therefore, a need exists for speeding up the checkout process at a retail establishment. In addition, a need exists to be able to more effectively scan products without the need for rescanning. Furthermore, a need exists for providing adequate feedback to the cashier, or to the customer in a self-checkout lane, regarding whether or not the products have been scanned properly.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, in one exemplary implementation, the present invention embraces a point-of-sale (POS) device, wherein the POS device includes a housing and a plurality of sensing elements. The housing is configured to at least partially surround a scanning space outside the mouth of a bag. The plurality of sensing elements are mounted on the housing such that each of the sensing elements has a field of view that includes at least a portion of the scanning space outside the mouth of the bag. The sensing elements are configured to sense an identification code arranged on a product when the identification code is in the scanning space outside the mouth of the bag as the product is being placed into the bag.

In an exemplary embodiment, a checkout apparatus is provided. The checkout apparatus includes a plurality of sensing elements arranged in fixed relationship with each other at the mouth of a bag. At least one of the sensing elements senses a code arranged on a product as the product is being placed into the bag.

In another exemplary embodiment, a product-sensing device is described in the present disclosure. The product-sensing device according to this embodiment includes a plurality of sensors and a housing. The sensors are arranged in fixed relationship with each other such that a field of view of each sensor includes at least a portion of a scanning space near the mouth of a merchandise bag. The sensor housing is configured to at least partially surround the scanning space near the mouth of the merchandise bag, and the plurality of sensors are mounted on the sensor housing. At least one sensor includes a field of view to enable the at least one sensor to sense a code associated with a product when the code is in the scanning space area near the mouth of the merchandise bag.

The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplary objectives and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, are further explained within the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a point-of-sale (POS) apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a sensing space generally representing a scanning range of the POS apparatus of FIG. 1 at the mouth of a paper merchandise bag, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts the sensing space generally representing a scanning range of the POS apparatus of FIG. 1 at the mouth of a plastic merchandise bag, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A schematically depicts a top view of the POS apparatus of FIG. 1 and exemplary scanning patterns of multiple sensors of the POS apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B schematically depicts a front view of the POS apparatus of FIG. 1 and exemplary scanning patterns of multiple sensors of the POS apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The figures are provided to represent exemplary embodiments and to describe the various teachings and features of the present invention. The figures are not meant to limit the present disclosure, which may include other embodiments as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and may represent any devices understood to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to point-of-sale (POS) devices used for customer checkout at a retail establishment. The present POS system seeks to solve some of the problems of conventional POS devices. For example, a typical checkout process involves handling products twice, once for scanning and another for bagging. At some stores, the scanning duties are handled by one employee while the bagging duties are handled by another person (e.g., either another employee or the customer). The present POS device eliminates the need to handle products twice by positioning scanning equipment at the mouth of the merchandise bag into which the products are placed. In this way, a product is scanned by the scanning equipment as the product is being placed into the bag.

Conventional POS devices normally include a single scanner for scanning products. As such, the products must be positioned in a certain orientation with respect to the scanner to enable the scanner to properly scan the product codes. An exemplary POS system includes multiple scanning devices for scanning the product from different angles. The utilization of multiple scanners positioned around a scanning space, as taught in the present disclosure, provides one or more benefits, such as reducing the number of rescanning attempts that are typically needed with conventional equipment having a single scanner. As a result, the products may be scanned more effectively and more quickly by the present POS device without the need to re-scan as often.

Additionally, the present POS device may also include indicators for providing feedback regarding the success of a scanning step. For example, in addition to an audible beep that is normally provided by conventional systems, the present POS device may also include visual indicators, such as lights and/or displays, for indicating whether or not a product was scanned properly.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a perspective view of an embodiment of a point-of-sale (POS) apparatus 10 according to the teachings of the present invention. In general, the POS apparatus 10 includes a sensor assembly 12 and a support assembly 14. The sensor assembly 12 includes a housing 16 having a construction that at least partially wraps around a central space, as defined in more detail below. The sensor assembly 12 also includes a plurality of sensing elements or sensors 18, which are mounted in or on the housing 16. The sensors 18 may include laser scanners, barcode readers, one-dimensional code (e.g., barcode) imagers, two-dimensional code (e.g., quick response (QR)) imagers, or other suitable sensors.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary sensing space, or scanning space 20, generally representing the range of scanning patterns of the sensors 18 of the POS apparatus 10. The scanning space 20 represents the cumulative fields of view (FOVs) and depths of field (DOFs) of the plurality of sensors 18. The scanning space 20 is generally located near or immediately outside the mouth 22 of a bag, such as a paper merchandise bag 24 (shown in phantom). The mouth 22 of the bag 24 is defined by an upper edge 26 of the bag 24.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the housing 16 is configured to at least partially surround the scanning space 20 when the bag 24 is opened and placed with its bottom 28 resting on the platform 30 of the support assembly 14 and its edge 26 in or near the scanning space 20. In this position, the bag 24 is ready to receive products that are inserted down into the bag 24. The scanning space 20 may be defined as a space just outside the mouth of the bag 24 where a product is scanned as it is being placed into the bag 24. This enables the user to scan and bag a product in one step or in one motion, according to the teachings of the present disclosure. In order for the POS apparatus 10 to operate correctly, a user will place the bag 24 in an appropriate position such that the mouth 22 of the bag 24 is in or immediately below at least a portion of the scanning space 20. With the bag 24 properly placed, products with scannable codes can be scanned as the user is placing the product into the bag 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates the scanning space 20 generally representing the cumulative ranges (e.g., FOVs and the DOFs) of the sensors 18. In this embodiment, the scanning space 20 of the POS apparatus 10 is located at the mouth 32 of a plastic merchandise bag 34, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When plastic bags 34 as shown in FIG. 3 are used, the height of the sensor assembly 12 may be adjusted such that a bottom section of the bag 34 will rest on the platform 30 when one or more products are placed in the bag 34. As shown in FIG. 1, the support assembly 14 typically includes one or more vertical supports, such as legs 36. The legs 36 may be adjustable and configured to position the height of the sensor assembly 12 for various kinds of bags, totes, boxes, or other containers.

Although the paper bag 24 (FIG. 2) may be able to maintain its shape without collapsing, some bags such as plastic bags 34 (FIG. 3) may be held open using arms 42. The arms 42 may be coupled to the sensor assembly 12 or one or more legs 32. The arms 42 extend substantially horizontally and are configured to support the bags 34 in an open position. In this configuration, the mouth 32 of the bag 40 is generally positioned just below at least a portion of the scanning space 20. According to other embodiments, the arms 42 may instead be configured as hooks, ridges, or other kinds of components for holding the plastic bag 34 such that its mouth 32 is opened to allow products to be placed therein.

Again referring to FIG. 1, the sensors 18 are mounted on the housing 16 such that each of the sensors 18 has a field of view (FOV) including at least a portion of the scanning space 20 outside the mouth of the bag 24. The sensors 18 are configured to sense an identification code arranged on a product when the identification code is in the scanning space 20 outside the mouth 22,32 of the bag 24,34 as the product is being placed into the bag 24,34. The identification code can be printed on the product itself or on a package, bag, box, or other container for holding the product. In other implementations, the identification code may be printed on a sticker, tag, or other medium and applied to the product or its container using a suitable application means.

The sensors 18 are arranged in fixed relationship with each other such that the field of view (FOV) of each sensor 18 includes at least a portion of the scanning space 20 near the mouth of the bag 24. With the housing 16 configured to at least partially surround the scanning space 20, at least one of the sensors 18 may be configured to have a FOV that enables the at least one sensor 18 to sense the identification code associated with the product.

Thus, when the code is brought into the scanning space 20 near the mouth 22 of the bag 24, at least one of the sensors 18 scans the code. The multiple sensors 18 are configured with different fields of view and can be arranged such that essentially all parts of the scanning space 20 are within at least one field of view to allow reliable capture of the identification codes. When combined, the fields of view of the plurality of sensors 18 substantially encompass all or most of the scanning space 20 outside the mouth 22,32 of the bag 24,34.

The sensor assembly 12 may also include one or more mirrors 46, which may be fixed to redirect the fields of view (FOVs) of the sensors 18 (e.g., imager FOVs or laser scanner FOVs) or movable to sweep the FOVs. For example, regarding embodiments in which the sensors 18 are laser scanners, the mirrors may be moveable to deflect and guide-scanning laser beams in different directions in order to cover a more substantial field of view. The moveable mirrors can be moved by any suitable mechanism to guide the sensor FOV. In alternative embodiments, optical lenses may be used in place of the mirrors 46 to guide laser beams in a predefined fashion.

The sensors 18 and mirrors 46 may be arranged such that the sensor FOVs are directed horizontally, angled slightly upward, and/or angled slightly downward. Upward directed FOVs allow the sensors 18 to sense codes on the bottom of a product as it is being placed in the bag 24,34.

To aid in the reading of codes, the sensor assembly 12 may include one or more lights 50, which may be arranged as depicted in FIG. 1. The light(s) 50 are mounted on the housing 16 and are configured to illuminate at least portions of the scanning space 20. The lights 50 are configured to enhance the ability of the sensors 18 to sense the code associated with the product, such as by increasing the contrast between the black lines or blocks and the white spaces of the identification codes. As a result of the added illumination, the sensors 18 (e.g., imagers) may better read the product codes.

Additionally, the sensor assembly 12 may include one or more indicators 52. The indicators 52 may be visual indicators and/or audio indicators. Visual indicators may include different colors for representing different states. For example, a “ready” state may be represented with a white light pattern to indicate that the sensors 18 are ready to sense a code. When a product is being placed in the bag 24,34 and simultaneously scanned by the sensors 18, the visual indicators 52 may display a “scanned” state to indicate that the product's code was properly scanned. This state may be represented, for example, with a green light pattern. If it is determined that a product is being placed in the bag 24,34 but no code is scanned, the visual indicators 52 may display an “error” state to indicate that the code was not scanned. This state may be represented, for example, with a red light pattern. In one embodiment of the sensor assembly, lights 50 and visual indicators 52 are one in the same.

As mentioned above, the sensor assembly 12 is arranged such that the housing 16 at least partially surrounds the scanning space 20. The support assembly 14 is configured to position the sensor assembly 12 such that it properly surrounds the scanning space 20, as taught by the present disclosure. The support assembly 14 may include a stand 56, the platform 30, and the one or more legs 36. In other embodiments, framing elements, panels, or other suitable structures may be used instead of one or more of the legs 36.

According to some implementations, the length of the legs 36 may be adjustable to allow the sensor assembly 12 to be positioned at different heights. Thus, different sizes of bags can be used. For example, the paper bag 24 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has one particular height from the bottom 28 of the bag 24 to the edge 26 of the bag 24. By adjusting the height of the sensor assembly 12 above the platform 30, other sizes of paper bags and other kinds of bags, such as the plastic bag 34 shown in FIG. 3, may also be used.

The support assembly 14 of the POS apparatus 10 is configured to be coupled to and to support the sensor assembly 12. The support assembly 14 is coupled to the housing 16 and is configured to position the mouth 22,32 of the bag 24,34 at the scanning space 20 near or surrounded by the housing 16.

The identification code of the product is at least one of a barcode or other one-dimensional code, a QR code or other two-dimensional code, or other suitable recognizable coded image. Correspondingly, the plurality of sensors 18 may include at least one of barcode readers, laser scanners, one-dimensional scanners, linear imagers, QR code readers, two-dimensional scanners, large array two-dimensional imagers, or other suitable readers or imagers. In some alternative embodiments, the product codes may be implemented as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags or other suitable passive or active wireless communication tags. According to these alternative embodiments, the sensors 18 may be RFID readers, low energy Bluetooth readers, or other suitable wireless communication receivers.

According to some embodiments, the sensor assembly 12 may include a product-flow detector 60 configured to detect when a product is being placed into the bag and when a product is being removed from the bag. The product-flow detector 60 may be mounted on the housing 16 and directed in the general direction of the scanning space 20. The product-flow detector 60 senses the presence of a product. The product-flow detector 60 may also sense the direction that the product is moving. Particularly, the direction of movement may be sensed as either downward (i.e., into the bag 24,34) or upward (i.e., out of the bag 24,34).

According to some embodiments, the support assembly 14 may include a scale 64 that is configured to measure the weight of the product or products that have been placed in the bag 24,34. The scale 64 can also be used to measure the weight of produce, such as fruits and vegetables. The scale 64 may be used to verify that a scanned product being placed in the bag 24,34 has the proper weight according to weight information stored in the POS apparatus 10 itself or stored in an external memory, table, register, or database accessible by the POS apparatus 10.

The sensors 18, mirrors 46, and other elements of the sensor assembly 12 are configured such that each sensor 18 has a depth of field (DOF) sufficient to sense the code of a product at a distance at least as great as a line-of-sight distance from the sensing element of the respective sensor 18 to approximately a central point of the scanning space 20 outside the mouth of the bag.

When each of the sensors 18 has such a depth of field sufficient to sense the code associated with the product at this distance, the multiple sensors 18, when arranged at different angles, can adequately cover the scanning space 20. One or more sensors 18 may be able to scan the product code at most locations within the scanning space 20. Thus, the POS apparatus 10 may be capable of more effectively and more quickly scanning codes than a one-sensor checkout device.

FIG. 4A shows a top view of the POS apparatus 10, and FIG. 4B shows a front view of the POS apparatus 10. The lines 68 are shown to represent generally the FOV and DOF of the multiple sensors 18. With the various angles, in one dimension and/or in two dimensions, and the extent or depth of coverage, at least one the sensors 18 can adequately scan the product codes essentially within the scanning space 20. In FIGS. 4A and 4B, the focal points of the lines 68 are shown as being outside the actual housing 16. The lines 68 are illustrated this way to show the embodiment where the sensors 18 are scanning devices (e.g., imagers, laser scanners, etc.) that utilize the mirrors 46. With the sensor FOVs being reflected off the mirrors 46, the virtual locations of the sensors (e.g. the imaging camera lens, the sources of the laser beams, etc.) are perceived to be at the focal points.

To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporates entirely by reference the following patents, patent application publications, and patent applications:

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In the specification and/or figures, typical embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. The present invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. The use of the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The figures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawn to scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A point-of-sale (POS) device, comprising: a platform; a sensor assembly comprising a housing configured to at least partially wrap around a central space provided for a bag, the height of the housing being adjustable with respect to the platform; and a plurality of sensing elements mounted about the housing, each of the sensing elements being configured to sense an identification code on a product within a field of view and a depth of field corresponding to such sensing element; wherein the plurality of sensing elements are configured and arranged about the housing at various angles relative to the central space so as to provide a three-dimensional scanning space outside the mouth of the bag at least partially surrounded by the housing, the three-dimensional scanning space representing the cumulative fields of view and depths of field of the plurality of sensing elements; and wherein each portion of the three-dimensional scanning space corresponds to the field of view of at least one of the plurality of sensing elements, such that as a product having an identification code thereon passes through the three-dimensional scanning space, at least one of the plurality of sensing elements will have a field of view capable of sensing the identification code when the identification code is in the three-dimensional scanning space as the product is being placed into the bag.
 2. The POS device of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly housing has an adjustable height configurable to position the three-dimensional scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.
 3. The POS device of claim 1, wherein the height of the housing being adjustable allows the three-dimensional scanning space to be positioned outside the mouth of the bag when the bottom of the bag rests on the platform.
 4. The POS device of claim 1, further comprising a support assembly coupled to the housing, the support assembly configured to position the three-dimensional scanning space at the mouth of the bag.
 5. A checkout apparatus comprising: a sensor assembly comprising a housing and a plurality of sensing elements configured and arranged about the housing so as to provide a three-dimensional scanning space at a location intended to be near the mouth of a bag, the three-dimensional scanning space representing the cumulative fields of view and depths of field of the plurality of sensing elements, the height of the housing being adjustable with respect to the location intended to be near the mouth of a bag; wherein each portion of the three-dimensional scanning space corresponds to the field of view of at least one of the sensing elements, such that when an identification code on a product passes through the three-dimensional scanning space, at least one of the sensing elements will have a field of view enabling such sensing element to sense the identification code.
 6. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor assembly housing has an adjustable height configurable to position the three-dimensional scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.
 7. The checkout apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least two of the plurality of sensing elements are oriented at different angles with respect to each other.
 8. The checkout apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the sensing elements is oriented at an angle with respect to an imaginary plane generally parallel with the mouth of the bag.
 9. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensing elements are mounted on the housing.
 10. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, wherein the housing at least partially surrounds the scanning space outside the mouth of the bag.
 11. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a support assembly coupled to the housing, the support assembly configured to position the sensor assembly near the mouth of the bag.
 12. The checkout apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support assembly is configured to support the housing and a plurality of bags.
 13. The checkout apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one light mounted on the housing, wherein the at least one light is configured to enhance the ability of the sensing elements to sense the identification code.
 14. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the identification code comprises at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a data matrix code, and wherein the plurality of sensing elements comprises at least one of barcode readers, laser scanners, one-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional imagers, and linear imagers.
 15. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, further comprising at least one indicator configured to indicate whether the identification code is successfully sensed when the identification code passes through the scanning space.
 16. The checkout apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one indicator includes at least one of visual indicators and audio indicators.
 17. The checkout apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a product-flow detector configured to detect when a product is being placed into the bag and/or when a product is being removed from the bag.
 18. The checkout apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements has a depth of field sufficient to sense the identification code at a distance at least as great as a line-of-sight distance from the respective sensing element to a center point of the mouth of the bag.
 19. A product-sensing device, comprising: a sensor assembly having a plurality of sensors configured and arranged to provide a three-dimensional scanning space at least partially surrounded by the sensor assembly, the three-dimensional scanning space representing the cumulative fields of view and depths of field of the plurality of sensors; wherein the sensor assembly comprises a housing having an adjustable height configurable to position the scanning space at a location intended to be near the mouth of a merchandise bag; and wherein each portion of the three-dimensional scanning space corresponds to the field of view of at least one of the sensors, such that when a product having an identification code passes through the three-dimensional scanning space, at least one sensor includes a field of view capable of scanning the identification code.
 20. The product-sensing device of claim 19, further comprising a support assembly coupled to the sensor assembly, the support assembly adjustable and configured to position the sensor assembly near the mouth of the merchandise bag.
 21. The product-sensing device of claim 20, wherein the support assembly includes a platform and a scale formed in a top surface of the platform, the platform and scale configured to support and detect the weight of the merchandise bag and products in the merchandise bag.
 22. The product-sensing device of claim 21, wherein the support assembly comprises a stand and at least one leg, the platform coupled to a top portion of the stand, the at least one leg extending upward from the platform and configured to support the sensor assembly.
 23. The product-sensing device of claim 19, further comprising: at least one illumination element mounted on the sensor assembly, the at least one illumination element being configured to enhance the ability of the sensors to sense the identification code; and at least one indication element mounted on the sensor assembly, the at least one indication element being configured to indicate to a user whether the identification code associated with the product is successfully.
 24. The product-sensing device of claim 19, wherein the identification code comprises at least one of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a data matrix code, and wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of barcode readers, laser scanners, one-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional scanners, two-dimensional imagers, and linear imagers.
 25. The product-sensing device of claim 19, further comprising a product-flow detector configured to detect when a product is being placed into the bag and/or when a product is being removed from the bag.
 26. The product-sensing device of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of sensors has a depth of field sufficient to sense the identification code at a distance at least as great as a line-of-sight distance from the respective sensor to an approximate center point of the scanning space near the mouth of the merchandise bag. 